Wednesday, December 25, 2002
THOUGHTS FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Some of you know that every Christmas Eve, I spend a little time before I go to bed, just sitting all alone in front of our Christmas tree. Most of the time, it starts out as a stream-of-cousciousness thought process that eventually turns into a prayer. Here are some of those thoughts/prayers:
It's amazing how it doesn't even seem that long ago that I would spend the night of Christmas eve slyly moving all my presents to the back of the tree so I could tear a little piece of the wrapping and see what each gift was. That seems like only yesterday. And yet, it seems so far away too. This year, I've definitely not been in the Christmas spirit. Did I get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday? Yes. Did I get caught up in the busy-ness of the season? Yes. Did I forget that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus? Doubly yes.
What a wretched man I am! The more I try to "grow up" and become a man, the more I realize I need to have faith like a child. How ironic.
And now, I realize that this is probably the last time I'll be sitting in front of this tree, in the house. Next year, I'll be sitting in my own home. So that means, I should really savor and cherish this moment.
"It's a Wonderful Life" was on TV tonight. That got me thinking about my favorite scene in the whole movie: George Bailey prays out of desperation, "I'm not a praying man. But ... show me the way." He is a man at the end of his rope, in pure desperation. And Father, in many ways, I am also that man. I am a man covered in sin that has kept me away from praising You, even during this Christmas season. I've become too focused on the daily grind of life, and have neglected to care about people and to remember from where I came from. Father, show me the way.
Show me the way.
Merry Christmas to all!!!
Some of you know that every Christmas Eve, I spend a little time before I go to bed, just sitting all alone in front of our Christmas tree. Most of the time, it starts out as a stream-of-cousciousness thought process that eventually turns into a prayer. Here are some of those thoughts/prayers:
It's amazing how it doesn't even seem that long ago that I would spend the night of Christmas eve slyly moving all my presents to the back of the tree so I could tear a little piece of the wrapping and see what each gift was. That seems like only yesterday. And yet, it seems so far away too. This year, I've definitely not been in the Christmas spirit. Did I get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday? Yes. Did I get caught up in the busy-ness of the season? Yes. Did I forget that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus? Doubly yes.
What a wretched man I am! The more I try to "grow up" and become a man, the more I realize I need to have faith like a child. How ironic.
And now, I realize that this is probably the last time I'll be sitting in front of this tree, in the house. Next year, I'll be sitting in my own home. So that means, I should really savor and cherish this moment.
"It's a Wonderful Life" was on TV tonight. That got me thinking about my favorite scene in the whole movie: George Bailey prays out of desperation, "I'm not a praying man. But ... show me the way." He is a man at the end of his rope, in pure desperation. And Father, in many ways, I am also that man. I am a man covered in sin that has kept me away from praising You, even during this Christmas season. I've become too focused on the daily grind of life, and have neglected to care about people and to remember from where I came from. Father, show me the way.
Show me the way.
Merry Christmas to all!!!
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